[Thelma]

I have read about every post that has been put into the old site and this new one as well as the Als site on Build UK .

I have had nothing to do but read this last 2 weeks and to say it became boring is to put it mildly. The first 5 days were rough but the following got better each day till I am finally home again. Safe once again till next time.

Now as to the subject of this post I have come around to the fact for me that this is indeed named appropriately Braintalk 2.

It came as Braintalk 2 when the other failed and it became apparentt when the other sysop turned his back and said in 'my' polite words nuts to you all.

No word to anyone of us as to what to expect nor what had happened and it was clear that both him and his new "administrator" had the capability to do it. So it is evident to me that we were and are more so now a business or career endeavor and not human beings.

The site has at the top lost it's humanity and I now wonder if it indeed ever had any.

It came into existance at the request of the Head of Neurology who put John Lester at the helm of implementing it and using the space at the hospital and the equiptment there provided for the convenience of said project.

The fact that there had to be a personal relationship evolve was of necessity and not necessarily because of the wanting of interaction but of the nature of thils medium in order to enlarge on the idea that was being presented. I think the very fact that it had so many problems with the hospital funding the maintenance and buying of the required equiptment says they soon tended to see it as a detriment and not an asset. It was always emphasised that the Hed of Neurology supported it but not the hospital in general and if it wasn't for the absolute complete devotion of John it would be closed in a flash.

What a way to build a following.

I remember the fan club and it's total fantasy reaction to a picture of a man looking skyward on the steps of a building with a tool belt on with cameras and gear that bespoke of a man facing the odds on their behalf.

But I also remember a man who took a great deal of thanks and appreciation for an advocacy promotion that if he had not left the country when he did would never of come into being.

I guess looking back I can see all of the good that was accreditted to him there but I see it in a different light than most do.

The site had nothiln to do with John save to run the computer and while there has been talk of monies being paid to lhim to buy and improve the equiptment he has never said he was out of pocket. Only implied he could be if no one helped by contributing.

So my message is this.

Braintalk was an entity that could have been anywhere and could and would have become successful with anyone at the helm.

It only takes a few hundred dollars to buy and manage a business but to make it a success the ability to run a one man opeation has to give way to having more employees based on the numbers of customers you attrack.

In thils capacity John is a complete failure.

So out of every collapse there comes a new adventure with a completely new perspective who appears to have learned from all of the others.

There are many things here I don't particularly care for but putting that aside I believe this one has the potential to succeed.

So then keep the Braintalk 2 as a name and while everyone is or has gotten used to it I see ilt as a second chance for what the OBT could have been.

When I learned that the old backups before the last edition on Braintalk were still sitting on the top of a shelf or box in John's Hasty Pastry location I thought if he never cared about those ones what would make you think he will care about the latest lost files.

There is a full fledged operation going on at the OBS to eliminate the ALS forum with locked postings and disappearances of posts that happens so fast no one even sees them.

I have seen 2 posts go that way.

I witnessed in the Parkinson's forum a man post with a 'phony' name who pretended to be a disgruntled former known member and falsely started accusations against the moderators over a previous banning and was taken off so fast I thought for a moment he never had posted. But he had and I read it again before it disappeared. He then came here and under his own non de plume used at this site spoke out against the moderator there as if he had not done anything wrong and never mentioned who and what he had done there to hurt the member he was pretending to be.

Why I am saying this is that the too little authority is as bad as the too much authority. That is my major complaint here.

But notice I am saying it. would not attempt it there at the old one.

So that is my premise off with the old and on with the new and may we all get the opportunity for a second chance.

Up with Braintalk 2

[DiMarie]

Just dreaming,
But if OBT is a non-profit and had all the problems,
Would it not be possibly to had over the the complete operation as BT2....
So many old things best left buried, it took time, but I had all summer to morn the loss of OBT.

I am ready to put it to rest and carry forward with new direction and support staff.

If there is any kindness left, those still involved with OBT, should take the keys, close the door to OBT and hand them over to those that can offer a continuancy.

While I stop by OBT, it is to mostly check on the restoring of old data. If that is lost, I think it is time for JL to thank us for all the years, we thank him and now move on.
Then we can let BT2...especially if all the data is lost. What is the loss of OBT?
Not what is legally right, but what makes it right to all that supported in many ways, financially is only one of them. I was a person too that suported financially, never received that personal thank you as we all were to get either.

My only hurt toward OBT is the prolonged down period, and even when put back online, the loss of a HUGE amount of data and information. Oh, and friends we can no longer find.

[loisba]

Hi, Thelma, glad you came through the 2 weeks with your indomitable spirit intact!
I can understand where you are coming from when you say you want to keep the BT2 name, but apparently we're going to get a new name, and my personal opinion is that that is a good thing. We'll have our own identity, there won't be anyone confusing the two communities, and we'll have a chance to grow into our own identity.
That said, do you mean you don't like ANY of the proposed names? Couldn't you vote for maybe the least objectionable? Too bad you couldn't post your own suggestions for names while you were incommunicado. Other than BT2, is there a name you would have suggested?
Hugs,

[Chemar]

Hi Thelma

welcome home

we missed you

[DocJohn]

As much as I might like to keep the Braintalk name, the fact remains is that for an online community, it has a legitimate, registered trademark and by law, I cannot knowingly infringe upon that trademark. Braintalk 2 is confusingly similar, and while perhaps an option if OBT never returned (it could be argued they abandoned the trademark at that stage), they did return and so change we must.

If one wants to petition BT's board, one is free to do so. Keep in mind, though, that JL is the board's president. I know Dan Hoch, another board member, but not Anne Young. Tom Ferguson passed away this summer.

John

[Curious]

it's good to see you back thelma. i hope you are doing well. your insight and input have been missed.

imo..even with a name change...the bt2 monicker will probably stay.

[SallyC]

I agree, Thelma, but DocJohn is right. OBT has the rights to the Braintalk name and Logo. We must change our name.

I still think that Neurotalk is a good segway, and easy to remember, or even Brainmatters, if we must..LOL

I also agree that the OBT is not going to change their stripes. So far, it still has MOD problems.


Welcome back, Thelma.

[Doody]

Welcome back Thelma!

[cherokeegrl]

Has anyone suggested "Neuro Central"?

Sort of like a sister/brother site to "Psych Central" ...with Doc John, the creator of both sites, in mind.

~Kimmy

[Thelma]

Hello People

Thanks to all for their concern for me I never anticipated it and I am so bad with the niceties that make up life. I feel them but no good at saying the words.

Okay now the name Braintalk is a no no but the context of Braintalk2 is still there.

Friendlliness

Sharing

Conversation

Advice

Community

Freedom

So what can I make of these attributes.

Oh my I just looked and the spelling and grammer is correct. I have learned another lesson in life. lol

But

What can we make of these assets we have here. We are far more than a Neurological site and less than a complete focused individual disease site so what is there we can come up with.

Does ilt have to be related to the "Brain"?

What about 'Second Chance' well catchy but not as profound as we need don't you think.

And it would not be as easily identifiable as a medical talk site.

So what about 'Life's Second Chance'...........or Talking About Neurology"

Well maybe

'Talking with friends about neurology' way too long

But how about this if it is not too late to enter

'Brain and Heart Talking'........'Brain and Heart Talking Neurology'

The motto then can be

"When The Heart Listens the Brain Talks"


Go ahead and try for a meeting of your brain and the heart shown here and see what you come up with.


Sometimes I amaze myself with all of this schmaltz.....lol